Cabinet door frame



Nov. 5, 1963 P. SKORUPA 3,109,685

CABINET DOOR FRAME Filed March 7, 1962 36 o INVENTOR.

PAUL SKORUPA BY FIG. 6

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofi ice 3,1h9fi35 Patented Nov. 5, 19633,109,685 CABINET DOOR FRAME Paul Shorupa, Southfield, Mich, assignor,by mesne assignments, to Paul Boraks, Detroit, Mich. Filed Mar. 7, 1962,Ser. No. 178,154 12 Claims. (Cl. 312-464) This invention relates to acabinet door frame and more particularly to a decorative frame soconstructed as to overlie and be secured to a mirrored door.

The invention involves a frame of wood, plastic or other suitablematerial which is applied to the door of a medicine cabinet by adhesivestrips secured to and securing the frame to the outer glass surface ofthe door mirror. Normally, glass mirrors on such cabinet doors areframed and backed with sheet metal of one kind or another. The frame ofthis invention is provided with a recess to allow for such metal framingso that an inwardly rear surface of the frame will be flush with and lieadjacent the mirrors outer glass surface. Adhesive strips comprising acompressible layer of resilient materials, such as plastic foam orsponge, coated on its two side surfaces with a pressure sensitiveadhesive are secured to the frame at inner rear surfaces which lieadjacent the mirror surface and to the mirror surface, securing theframe to the cabinet door. An alternate and equivalent means ofsecurement is the application of a layer of pres sure sensitive adhesiveby brush or other suitable means to rear surface portions of the frame.The frame is finished with side edges that extend rearwardly to overliethe top and side edges of the cabinet door, shielding the same fromview. At the bottom of the frame, a portion of the lower rearwardlydirected edge is cut away to allow or make room for a depending lip orcatch plate on the door, which is sometimes applied by the cabinet doormanufacturers.

Cabinets, particularly medicine cabinets, are installed in the walls ofbuildings as permanent fixtures. Over a period of time, the mirroreddoors of these cabinets meet with a measure of wear and damageparticularly at their edges. Oftentimes the mirror edge is chipped orthe metal molding strip is nicked or loses its brightness or becomesotherwise unsightly. The frame of this invention covers all of theseblemishes and provides the cabinet door again with a pleasingappearance.

It is an object of the invention to provide a decorative frame for amedicine cabinet door having a front facing glass mirror. Another objectis to provide a frame which overlies the outer edge portions of the doorand is secured to the front face of the door. Yet another object is toprovide a frame secured to the face of the cabinet door by adhesivestrips or an adhesive layer secured to both the door face and the frame.

These and additional objects of the invention and features ofconstruction will become more apparent from the description given belowin which the terms employed are used for purposes of description and notof limitation. Reference is made to the drawing annexed hereto and madean integral part of this specification and in which- FIGURE 1 is aperspective view of the frame and door structure disclosed herein.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken substantiallyon the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional view taken fromthe left end of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe line 44 of FIGURE 2 and showing the/location of the adhesivesecuring strips and the recesses adjacent the side edges of the frame. HFIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view taken substantially on the line 6-6 ofFIGURE 5 looking upward in the direction of the arrows and showing thecut out portion of the lower frame edge to allow for the depending lipor catch plate secured to the glass mirror molding strip.

As shown in the several views of the drawing, the decorative cabinetdoor frame 19 includes a cut out body portion 12 having a centralopening 14, side edges 16, 16, a top edge 18, and a bottom edge 20, theside, top and bottom edges extending rearwardly from the body portion12. The frame structure 10 further includes adhesive strips 22 having amedial resilient portion or body 24 and adhesive surfaces 26, 26.

The frame body 12 on its rear or inner side 28 adjacent the side, topand bottom edges is provided with a recess 3% extending about theperiphery of the body. Adjacent the recess 39 and elevated therefrom isa shoulder surface 32 upon which are secured the adhesive strips 22. Theshoulder surface 32 also extends about the pe riphery of the body 12.Adjacent the shoulder surface 32 and elevated therefrom is the rear faceor surface 28 of the body 12.

The lower bottom edge 26 of the decorative frame 10 is cut away ornotched intermediate its ends to provide an indented edge 3d forpurposes to be described below.

The adhesive strips 22 comprises a resilient body 24 made of plasticfoam or sponge material which is compressible and resilient. The stripsare relatively narrow and are coated on their two side surfaces with apressure sensitive adhesive coating forming attaching surfaces 26, 26.One of these surfaces is secured to the frame shoulder surface 32.

An alternate means for securing the frame to the door is to apply apressure sensitive adhesive in substantially liquid or plastic form as alayer to the frame shoulder surface 32 by brush or other suitable meansand allow the same to surface dry or come to a stable state at roomtemperature. Thereafter, the frame can be applied to the door asdescribed below. To maintain the adhesive strips 22 or the equivalentadhesive layer free of contamination or loss of adhesive power, theouter exposed surface 26 of the strip 22 or the outer exposed surface ofthe adhesive layer is covered with a peelable material, such as aplastic coated paper or other suitable film, after adhesion of thestrips or layers and prior to application of the frame to the door.

The cabinet door 40 generally comprises a glass mirror 42. hacked andedged with a sheet metal backing 44 and peripheral molding strips 46 tosecure the mirror in place upon the metal backing. These strips 46 arerelatively thin in section and overlie the front face 43 of the mirror42 for only a very short distance, no more than is necessary to securethe mirror to the backing 44. Some cabinet doors are provided at theirlower edges with a finger grip or catch plate 50 for drawing the dooropen, and the indented edge 36 is therefore provided to accommodate andallow for such depending lip or catch plate.

In operation, the decorative cabinet door frame 10 is applied to thedoor by placing the frame over the door mirror 42 so that the outerframe edges 16, 18 and 20 extend over the peripheral edges 46 of thedoor backing 44 and locate within the area of the recess 30 adjacent theframe edges. After removing the peelable material covering the outeradhesive surfaces 26 of strips 22, the frame It is pressed directly uponthe front face 48 of the mirror 42 securing the frame to the door 40 ofthe cabinet. Once securement by the strips 22 has been made positive byfirm pressing about the periphery of the mirror, the frame It will hangsuspended upon and secured to the mirror face 43. To open the cabinetdoor, one places his fingers under the lower edge 46 of the door and of,wood, plastics or composition materials by sawing,

machining or molding processes. The frame body 12 need not have acentral opening but may extend fully across the entire face of themirror surface. It will be understood that the decorative appearance anddesign of the frame can be varied to suit the taste of the custom-Further, the frame 10 may be made without top and bottom edges, 18 and2% but may merely be provided with side edges 16, 16. The frame can beso designed that the body 12 'will extend upwardly and/ or downwardly adistance sufficient to eliminate the need for shielding the top andbottom edges of the door 40 by complementary frame edges.

The adhesive strips 22 can be procured from presently available sources.of supply. Several types of adhesive strips may be used including thosehaving non-resilient bodies, however because these strips generally bearupon glass it is preferred to'employ adhesive strips having a resilientyielding body in order to avoid the possibility of breaking or crackingthe glass mirror in the cabinet door. Normally, a layer of pressuresensitive adhesive can be applied by brush or other suitable means tothe rear face 28 of the frame 10. Sometimes it is desirable or necessaryto also apply some of the adhesive as a layer to the glass mirrorsurface so that upon application of the frame to the mirror surfacesatisfactory adhesion will result. The applied adhesive layers describedabove are considered the equivalent of the adhesive strips 22in view aof their functional identity.

Having described the invention in its simplest terms, it

is to be understood that the features of construction may be changed andvaried within greater or lesser degree without departing from theessence of the inventiondefined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In the combination of a framed cabinet door, a cabinet doorhaving a front face, and a frame for said door having a body havingside, top and bottom edges extending rearwardly of said body and adaptedto overlie the top and side edges of said door,

said frame having an inner surface adapted to lie adjacent said doorfront face, and adhesive strips secured to and securing said frame bodyand said door, I

said strips having one side disposed upon and adhesively secured to saidframe body inner surface and the other side disposed upon and adhesivelysecured to said door front face, whereby said frame hangs suspended fromand is secured to said door.

2. In the combination of a framed cabinet door, a cabinet door having afront face, a frame for said door having a body having edges extendingrearwardly of said body and adapted to overlie some of the edges of saiddoor,

said frame body having an inner surface adapted to lie adjacent saiddoor front face, and adhesive layers secured to and securing said framebody and said door, 7

said adhesive layers being disposed upon and secured to said frame bodyinner surface and disposed upon and adhesively secured V to said doorfront face, whereby when said frame inner surface applied adhesivelayers are firmly imposed upon said door front face said frame hangssuspended from and is secured to said door.

' 3; .In the combination of a framed cabinet door, a cabinet door havinga front mirror face,

a peripheral molding strip about the edges of said mirror face; i aframe for said door having a body having edges extending rearwardly ofsaid body and adapted to overlie some of the edges of said moldingstrip,

' said frame body having inner surface portions adapted to lie adjacentsaid mirror face,

a recess on the rearward side of said body inwardly of and adjacent saidbody edges to accommodate portions of said molding strip,

and pressure sensitive adhesive layers secured to and securing saidframe body and said door,

said adhesive layers being disposed upon and adhesively secured to saidframe body inner surface portions, whereby when said frame body appliedadhesive layers are firmly impressed upon and against said cabinet doormirror face said frame hangs suspended from and is secured to said door.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, and in which said frame body isprovided with an opening therethrough substantially within said bodyedges to expose a portion of said cabinet door front mirror face.

5. The structure defined in claim 3, and in frame is made of wood.

6. The structure defined in claim 3, and in Which said frame is made ofmolded plastic materials.

7. In a frame for a cabinet door,

a body having side, top and bottom edges and adapted to overlie theside, top and bottom edges of said door as a frame therefor,

said body having an inner surface adapted to lie adjacent the front faceof said door, 7

and adhesive strips secured to said frame body for adhesively securingsaid body to said door,

which said said strips having one side disposed upon and adhesivelysecured to said body inner surface and the other side adapted to bedisposed upon and be adhesively secured to said door front face, 4whereby said frame will hang suspended from and besecured to said door.

8. In a frame for a cabinet door, a body having side, top and bottomedges and adapted to overlie the side, top and bottom edges of said dooras a frame therefor, said body having an inner surface adapted to lieadjacent the front face of said door, and adhesive layers secured tosaid frame body for adhesively securing said body to said door, saidlayers having one side disposed upon and adhesively secured to said bodyinner'surface and the other side adapted to be disposed upon andbeadhesively secured to said door front face, whereby said frame will hangsuspended from and be secured to said door.

9. In a frame for a cabinet door having a front mirror face,

a body having side, top and bottom edges and adapted and secured to saidframe body inner surface for adhesively securing said body to saidmirror face, 7 whereby when said frame body secured adhesive strips arefirmly impressed upon said mirror face said frame will hang suspendedfrom and besecured to said door.

face,

abody having side, top and bottom edges adapted to 10. In a frame for acabinet door having aifront mirror overlie the side, top and bottomedges of said mirror face as a frame therefor, said body having innersurface portions adapted to lie adjacent said mirror face, said bodyhaving an opening therethrough within said body edges for exposing aportion of said mirror face, and pressure sensitive adhesive stripsdisposed upon and secured to said frame body inner surface portions foradhesively securing said body to said mirror face, whereby when saidframe body secured adhesive strips are firmly impressed upon said mirrorface said frame will hang suspended from and be secured to said door.

6 11. The structure defined in claim 10 wherein said frame is made ofWood.

12. The structure defined in claim 10, wherein said frame is made ofplastic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,751,107 Smith Mar. 18, 1930 2,166,430 Green July 18, 1939 2,186,643Kaplan Jan. 9, 1940 2,785,490 Fabry Mar. 19, 1957 3,039,217 StefanakisJune 19, 1962

7. IN A FRAME FOR A CABINET DOOR, A BODY HAVING SIDE, TOP AND BOTTOMEDGES AND ADAPTED TO OVERLIE THE SIDE, TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID DOORAS A FRAME THEREFOR, SAID BODY HAVING AN INNER SURFACE ADAPTED TO LIEADJACENT THE FRONT FACE OF SAID DOOR, AND ADHESIVE STRIPS SECURED TOSAID FRAME BODY FOR ADHESIVELY SECURING SAID BODY TO SAID DOOR, SAIDSTRIPS HAVING ONE SIDE DISPOSED UPON AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO SAID BODYINNER SURFACE AND THE OTHER SIDE ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED UPON AND BEADHESIVELY SECURED TO SAID DOOR FRONT FACE, WHEREBY SAID FRAME WILL HANGSUSPENDED FROM AND BE SECURED TO SAID DOOR.